Situation of gender violence in indigenous and mestizo communities in the municipalities of Siuna and Rosita, RAAN

Abstract

This research is related to violence based on gender, and it was conducted in four mestizo communities and one indigenous community, from the municipalities of Siuna and Rosita in the North Autonomous Atlantic Region of Nicaragua in the year 2010. The methodology used was qualitative and it reflects the experiences, perceptions and feelings of women victims of violence and the institutions responsible for the attention of these cases. The information was gather using guided interview techniques and observation, which were applied to the groups formed by representatives of institutions responsible to apply justice, community leaders and women victims of violence. The results show that there are women in the rural areas who are affected in their rights and duties, whom deserves special attention by the competent authorities, and that due to their vulnerable state they do not face the situation appropriately, because this type of event even though it threatens their physical and moral integrity, and the psychological violence is prevalent, followed by physical, economic and sexual violence, it is accepted to the point of becoming their own way of living. The research identified two critical paths where the minority of women interviewed had attended. Although they are institutions that provide specialized care for women, however, there is no support from the society; there is lack of financial and human resources to respond in a belligerent way to this problem.